An Amber Bell Tree
by Writer-of-many-subjects
Summary: Kohaku had been through a lot when she first moved to Domino City from Tokyo, it got worse at the appearance of a glossy black book with nothing on it. One stupid decision brings her life into the darkness and it permeates everything. Things are worse than expected and she has to break strong moral codes if she's to survive. Extremely Dark Yu-Gi-Oh! Use of Gore warning!
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, I only own my own characters. Reviews are always welcomed so feel free to leave one. Please enjoy!

**Warning! This story does have gore and supernatural elements! It will be far darker than the original anime and manga! You have been warned! Read at your own risk. **

**Also, there is some use of Japanese, the translation is spotty as I am still learning the language.**

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Chapter 1 _A Contract Paid in Blood_

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It was quiet in the car. That was one thing that the two occupants inside could agree on. There was a lack of any sound, save for the sound of the car moving on the road. The two occupants of the car were focused on their tasks.

The driver was an old man with blue eyes and wispy white hair. The passenger was a very androgynous girl with waist length ash colored hair that covered her right eye. They both shared similar features, such as blue eyes.

"How are your grades?" The man quietly asked.

"Fine," The girl gave a short answer as she turned the page in her book with a long slender finger, "I'm passing."

The man gained a nervous expression on his face. She had never been that short with him before. He stopped at a red light and quickly gave her a look. She was pale, pale enough that she looked unhealthy. The black tank top she was wearing hung from her slender frame and showed just how skinny she was.

"Light's green," She stated as she looked up from her book.

He let out a hum and started to drive once again. Domino City passed by them quickly as they drove further in. Buildings of all sizes surrounded the area. The building that they finally stopped outside of was a small store that had an apartment attached to it.

"We're here," The elderly man announced as he pulled the keys out of the ignition.

The girl got out of the car and slung a bag on her shoulder. She looked up at the building with dull blue eyes before giving a small sigh. There wasn't even a name for the store yet, but she could tell from the windows that it was one that would be selling sweets. He had bought a café. Her line of sight then moved towards the shop at the end of the street. Kame Game shop? She made a mental note to check it out.

"The furniture should be here in a few hours," the man stated as he walked around the car.

"So, we have time to get the boxes unpacked," She muttered in thought.

"It shouldn't take long, Kohaku," The man informed her as he looked for the right key to unlock the door to the building, "An hour at the most."

"I'm not too worried about how long it'll take, Ji-Chan," Kohaku quietly replied as the front door was opened.

The building had a slightly musty smell to it. Two pairs of blue eyes took in the floating dust in the air and gave a sigh in unison. A shared look went between the two before the front windows were opened to air out the shop part of the building. The door that leads to the living quarters was opened.

The two began to unpack the car. Kohaku was limited to how many boxes she could carry, and she had a look of annoyance on her face. She glared at the cardboard box in her arms as she felt the eyes on her person. She was being stared at by the pedestrians walking on the street. She headed into the house to put the box in the room that she had chosen for herself.

When she came out of the building, she was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt under the tank top to hide how skinny she was. Her Grandfather didn't comment on it as he picked up a box and headed in. He heard footsteps following him. The sounds of Kohaku's vans were muffled against the wood floor.

He placed a box in his room, the closest to the stairs, and looked out of his doorway. She had to choose the room furthest away from his own. Though he couldn't blame her since it faced the rather empty backyard. That was the one thing he had made sure the home came with. He remembered the garden that his son-in-law had grown and how many times he had found her sitting under a tree surrounded by flowers.

"Ji-Chan," She stated as she stopped by his room, "There's a man by the car that wants to talk to you."

"I believe that's my old friend," He stated as he headed down the stairs.

Kohaku gave a nod in understanding before heading back down as well. She stopped before she exited the building as she heard something fall from upstairs. She shook her head and continued onwards. She wanted to be able to sleep on her bed, not on a futon. The floor was a dark hardwood and wouldn't be comfortable to sleep on.

The man she was talking to was short, much like herself, and was wearing light pink overalls over a blue shirt. She couldn't help but think that the pastel look fit him. She eyed him a bit as she snuck over to the car and grabbed another box. As she scurried away, she could hear her grandfather chuckling and saying that she was shy.

She used to be shy, but after everything that had happened to her recently. She had mostly lost that part of herself. Sure, there were times when she felt shy, but they had been too far and in between. She couldn't help but be annoyed at being called shy.

Her Grandfather's friend had left by the time the moving van with their furniture showed up. They were lucky that the movers were paid in advance to help them move everything in. A frail old man and an even frailer teenager weren't the best options to move furniture with. The men followed their directions without complaint so there weren't any problems for the two.

"We should've asked them to stay and help put everything together, Ji-Chan," Kohaku stated as they struggled with the mattress to her bed.

He agreed with her on that one as the mattress let out a loud thump as it landed on the box-spring. The two were sweating and breathing heavily. They took the chance to take a break and have something to eat. It had been a few hours since lunch.

Kohaku watched as her Grandfather moved around the kitchen with a speed that was usually unlike the man. From her spot at the isle counter, she could see everything he was doing. Everything that was cooked she had a first-row seat to see how. She couldn't help but make mental notes as to how he made things.

To her Grandfather cooking was an art form as drawing was to her. He could make dishes that tasted as though they belonged in a five-star restaurant. She couldn't help but wonder why he had chosen to join an archeology group back in his youth. He could've been retired and famous with his skills, but he did own a café. It didn't make sense to her.

After their dinner, they went to their rooms and finished unpacking. The first light to go out was her Grandfather's. He didn't have much to unpack except for some old photos and clothes. Kohaku had far more to unpack and didn't want to spend two days doing so.

She frowned as she grabbed a box that was labeled "books". She only had three more boxes to go and then she could sleep. She opened the box and eyed the thick tomes with slight dislike. It was going to take a while.

As she grabbed the first book, she couldn't help but wince at how her wrists strained under the weight. The dinner she just ate was the first real meal she had received in two years. It showed by how thin she had gotten and how pale she was. She couldn't help but feel her stomach churn as it attempted to digest the rich food.

She put the book on the bookshelf and started the automatic process of emptying the entire box and putting everything on the shelf. An hour had quickly passed by the time there was one book left. She reached into the box for the last book and brought it out. She frowned at the book in her hand.

It was a weird book. For one it didn't have a title anywhere on its surface. For another, it had a glossy black cover that was thought to the touch. She ghosted a finger across the cover of the book and felt a ridge standing out. She couldn't make out what it was. She was wondering why it had a belt around it. Did her Grandfather buy her a journal?

She sighed and undid the buckle attached to the belt. As soon as the book opened, she felt a burning pain on the underside of both of her forearms. She tossed the book down and looked down at her arms. Her eyes widened in horror as the sleeves of her white shit began to rapidly turn a bright crimson.

She began to panic and scrambled to her feet. She needed to call an ambulance. The amount of blood she was losing was not good. She'd die of blood loss within two hours. She reached for the door with a blood-covered hand and it slammed shut just as the tips of her fingers touched the doorknob.

She let out a strangled cry as the skin on her fingertips was ripped off by the sudden motion. She felt something grab her legs and begin to pull her towards the book. She placed her hands on the floor and pushed herself up. She fought against the force that was pulling her and began to pull herself towards the door.

How the hell had her Grandfather not hear this? She gave a curse upon remembering that he was extremely hard of hearing. Something grabbed the back of her head and slammed her head down. She saw spots in her vision as her forehead harshly connected with the hardwood.

She let out a scream and tears began to fall from her eyes as something tore the sleeves off her shirt. Her scream increased as something forced itself into the cuts on her arms. The blood flow that had started to slow down increased in intensity as whatever it was attempted to push further into the cuts. Her heart gave a jolt and her eyes grew wide.

Everything went quiet. It was as if time had stopped, but she was aware it hadn't. The pain was gone. Whatever had happened seemed to stop for a moment. She let out a shaky breath and relaxed.

It was a mistake when she decided to relax.

Her mouth opened in a silent scream as the pain came back tenfold. The blood had returned but this time it was strange. It was moving as if it had a mind of its own. It splattered on everything.

She groaned when it covered the pages of the book. As soon as it did, the pain stopped once again. She was left breathing heavily on the floor with her hair matted together by blood. She was tense and refused to allow herself to relax.

"**_Payment accepted_**," A voice rang out.

She couldn't put a gender to it. It was mixed by both male and female tones. It did cause chills to go down her spine. It was cold and malicious and reminded her of _him_. The source of all her problems.

Suddenly, she knew what to do. She closed her eyes and focused on pulling. She let out a cry when something touched the wounds on her arms, but she continued to pull. Eventually, the pain receded, and she opened her eyes.

The blood was off the ceiling. She was grateful for that. She sat up and ignored the pain that wracked her body. Her room looked like nothing had happened. She scanned the area for the black book that caused her all that pain, she was ready to burn the damn thing and found it lying on the floor.

She slowly got up to her feet and walked over to it. She picked it up with a trembling hand and opened it. The blood was gone from the pages and instead was a long line of numbers and names in glistening red ink. She turned the book to see a title in crimson writing on the front cover.

_The Book of Blood_? The title sounded like something right of a cheesy horror movie. It had proved that it was far more dangerous than Freddy or Jason. She ran a finger over the glowing gold eye of Horus that had appeared on the cover as well. That was what she had felt on the book before she foolishly opened it. It was there to protect people from the book. Too bad it wasn't visible, or else she wouldn't have opened it.

She had an interest in the occult and old religions. Her favorite had been Ancient Egypt's pantheon of gods. She would've taken the warning seriously. It was plastered on a book that screamed evil now that she looked at it.

She sighed and reluctantly turned back to the pages. She flipped through them until she came across the last entry. She paled even further at what she saw.

**鈴木琥珀****\- 契約は22:00に署名しました。 1996年9月30日.**

She didn't remember signing a contract. She then remembered her blood splattering against the crisp white parchment that made up the pages in the book. She felt her knees give out as she contemplated what kind of contract she had unwillingly signed. Just what sort of contract required blood anymore?

A winced as she felt something move under her wounds. She looked down and made a face. There was an ankh carved into both of her forearms. They were deep carvings as well that continued to ooze out blood. She was about to go find a first-aid kit when her blood moved. She froze in place and watched as it moved once again.

Ah, so that's what kind of contract requires a signature in blood.

That was her last thought before she stood up and moved around her room in autopilot. She was putting everything in the boxes away and when she finally emptied the last box she stood still. She started to inwardly freak out. An Ankh was a symbol of life, not a symbol of satanic powers dealing with blood manipulation! She was ninety-nine-point-nine percent sure that was what she had just signed up for.

She ran a hand through her matted hair and grimaced at the feel of crusted blood. She needed a shower. She looked for her alarm clock and found the black cat shaped object. It was telling her that it was indeed, eleven o'clock at night. She headed towards her newly packed dresser and grabbed a pair of new pajamas and underwear.

There were three bathrooms in the building. One for the café, one across from her Grandfathers room, and one attached to her room. She walked into it and found a small box sitting on the counter. She placed her clothes next to the box before opening it.

The first smile in two years graced her face at the appearance of toiletries. She unpacked them and gently placed them in her new purple shower caddy before starting the water. The building hadn't been used in a while, so it took the water some time to heat up. As the water warmed up, she undressed. She caught sight of herself in the mirror.

She looked like a walking corpse. She could count her ribs with ease and every time she breathed it looked painful. No wonder the pedestrians had stared at her. She looked like she was about to drop dead at any minute.

She brushed the fingertips of her uninjured hand under her eyes. The skin was dark there, permanently bruised from years of sleepless nights and malnourishment. The rest of her skin was pale and gave an unhealthy sheen under the fluorescent lights. She looked down at her arms and noted that the Ankhs looked better than they had.

The bleeding had stopped, so she might not have to call an ambulance. She tested the water and decided it was the perfect temperature. The moment she got into the shower she bit down on her knuckle to stop from screaming. She had to curse her forgetfulness.

She had forgotten that cuts hurt when water hit them. She let out a shaky breath and slowly moved towards the shower caddy. She needed to clean out the wounds and then dress them for the night. She almost screamed in surprise when blood shot out from her wrist and wrapped around the bottle for the shower gel. She felt the urge to mentally pull and did so. The blood shot back into her wrist and the bottle ended up in her outstretched hand. She stood still for a few seconds.

So, she was essentially Spider-Man, but with blood. She was trying to be angry with that, she really was. It was almost worth the pain she had gone through. Almost being the keyword.

Her shower was filled with pain and slight disgust as the access blood was rinsed from her body and hair. When she stepped out, she was clean and looking a bit flushed from the hot water. It was a healthier tone that was slowly fading as her body cooled. With how her Grandfather cooked she'd be healthier within a year. She had faith in the man.

She was about to get dressed when she paused. She was fixated on her reflection. She looked just like her mother did. With her long hair curling gracefully down her back. She felt anger and grief flare up in her arms she pulled on the ash-colored tresses.

Her eyes wildly moved around before settling on a pair of scissors. With a determined glint in her eyes, she grabbed the scissors and brought them to her hair. She paused upon nearing the tresses. If she cut it, there would be no going back. She steeled herself and cut through the first fistful of strands.

In an hour she had cut her hair to where she was almost unrecognizable. It had a fringe that completely covered her right eye, and the rest of it was a few inches above her chin and curled to frame her face. The back of it stuck up in curls that pointed upwards and made the back of her head resemble a duck-butt. She was happy with it, even though it made it even harder to tell that she was a girl.

She pulled on her pajamas, a black long-sleeved shirt and black pants decorated with eyes. She was starting to wonder if her Grandfather was a goth as well. With the way he picked out her clothing, she was starting to find that to be a believable explanation. She shook her head and frowned. She needed to stop focusing on such things.

She grabbed her dirty clothes and tossed them in her hamper before heading to bed. The moment her head hit the pillow she was out like a light. The book and her contract were forgotten. She didn't have any dreams, just nightmares of the last two years.

She was woken up by someone gently shaking her shoulder. She blearily looked around until she saw her Grandfather. He gave her a slightly amused smile before motioning towards her clock. She stared at it for a few seconds before her mind screamed at her.

She had to go register for school and have her picture taken. She quickly got up from the bed and almost ran over her Grandfather as she ran around for clean clothes. She picked out an outfit and ran into the bathroom. The door slamming shut followed her frantic actions.

Her Grandfather chuckled as he walked out of her room. He was most likely going to see something like that tomorrow. The mad dash of someone trying not to be late. He was in the kitchen when he heard footsteps thundering down the stairs.

Kohaku was dressed in black jeans and a black graphic long-sleeved shirt that stated _In God We Trust_ with the Illuminati symbol on it. He was quite glad he had picked that out for her. It suited her. He pulled on a pair of socks as she put on her new boots. Within an hour they had made it to the school.

Domino City High School. It was a large building that seemed to house a large section of the city's student population. The students outside were walking in and took notice of the black car that had stopped at the curb. The rumor mill began once the occupants got out.

Kohaku found herself missing the cream uniform of her school back in Tokyo. It had been a pain the ass to save up for and buy, but at least it wasn't the monstrosities before her. Apparently, the school had two sets of the female uniform, one pink and blue the other orange and green. She was going to go insane with those choices.

The two headed into the office and were greeted by a nice elderly lady behind a sheet of glass. It worried Kohaku's Grandfather that the administration would need glass covering the desks. What kind of school was he signing his Granddaughter up for? His worry increased as a blonde woman in a green two-piece suit walked past them. She gave his Granddaughter a nasty look and he found himself incensed on her behalf.

It didn't take long for her registration to go through. It was her picture that was taking the longest. She refused to smile for her ID and registration form. No one would know it was her if she smiled. Something she'd told the woman taking her picture, multiple times at that. She eventually won and her sullen expression was immortalized on film.

The two headed outside and noted that it had been a half day. Students were walking home and talking almost themselves. Kohaku let out another sigh as her Grandfather looked excited at the prospect of her having friends. She did have friends; they were all back in Tokyo.

She looked around the schoolyard and noticed something. A boy her size was being pushed around by two boys significantly taller than him. She felt her hands clench around the plastic bag carrying her uniform. She could only see _him_.

"Kohaku," Her Grandfather called as she walked up towards the three.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?" She asked the taller boys in a dangerous tone.

"What's it to you?" The blonde of the two asked with a slight sneer, "We're only trying to make him man up."

"Is that what you tell yourself to help you sleep at night?" Kohaku fired back in a venomous tone and she stepped up close to the boy and lowered her voice, "And what would you tell yourself if he decided to end his suffering from your attempts to make him man up?"

The blonde backed away from her and she gave him a blank look before spinning on her heel and walking back to her Grandfather. The boy who was being picked on looked after her with wide eyes. She hadn't meant for him to hear her words, but they had carried down to him. They were harsh, but it caused his tormentors to leave him be. Even if the blonde was giving him an odd look that seemed somewhat guilty.

"It was none of your business," Kohaku's Grandfather stated.

"So?" Kohaku questioned, "It got him to back off."

"What did you say to that boy?" He inquired.

She went silent at that and crossed her arms across her chest. If he knew what she'd said, he'd never speak to her again. It had been an underhanded comment, but she had stepped in without thinking. She didn't want to see another _him_ hurting someone.

"Was it because of him?" Her Grandfather asked, "He's in prison, he can't hurt anyone anymore."

She refused to respond, and he gave a sigh. So much for getting her to open up. He parked outside their new home and she quickly headed inside. He watched as the door swung shut and he moved to where he was leaning against the steering wheel.

He wondered what he could do to get her to smile. He missed that smile. He snapped his fingers as a sudden thought came to him. He started the car up again and drove off. He had just the thing.

"Where did he go?" Kohaku muttered as she paced her room.

Her eyes caught sight of the black book and picked it up. It was still unbuckled, and she opened it. It still had the lists in it. She closed it and buckled it up. She placed it on her bookshelf and noted that blended in with her other books. She couldn't have picked it out if she hadn't known where it was.

"Kohaku!" Her Grandfather called down, "I have a surprise for you!"

Kohaku walked down the stairs and was welcomed to the sight of her Grandfather with his friend and the boy from earlier. She was tempted to walk back up the stairs. The boy recognized her; it would've been hard not to since her hair was as strange of a color as his. He slightly paled as the two's eyes met. She was able to ignore the guilt with ease and looked towards her Grandfather.

"It's outside," He told her.

She made a face at that and headed outside. She was welcomed to the gardening section of a store. She was faintly aware of her Grandfather walking behind her as she stared at the flowers that were waiting to be planted. She was touched. He remembered.

"I thought it would be a nice way to get to know our neighbors," Her Grandfather stated, pulling her attention away from the flowers, "This is my old friend Muto Sugoroku, and his Grandson Yugi."

"It's nice to meet you," She stated, remembering her manners and giving a small bow.

They began gardening. The two elders were seemingly unaware of how tense the air was between their respective Grandchildren. Yugi didn't know how to talk to someone who seemingly had such a short emotional range, and Kohaku was socially illiterate. How she had made friends in Tokyo always baffled her.

"D-Do you like games, Kohaku-Chan?" Yugi asked.

She gave a shrug as she dug in the ground to plant some lilies. He felt a bit discouraged and wondered if he was wasting breath attempting to talk to her. She didn't seem to want to be friends with him. He reached for a flower to plant and turned to see where he could plant it.

He was surprised and horrified when he watched Kohaku pull up her sleeves revealing the carvings in her arms. She tensed as she seemed to remember that they were there. She quickly brought her sleeves down and stood up. She was fleeing from a situation she didn't want to be in. He quickly got up and hurried after her.

"Kohaku-Chan," He quietly called, and she stopped in her tracks, "A-Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," She stated.

It sounded unbelievable even to her. She unconsciously touched her arm. There wasn't any pain from it. It had completely stopped hurting.

"Did you…" Yugi cut himself off from asking such a question, it wasn't his place.

"I didn't, it came from a stupid decision," She replied in her soft monotone.

It was quiet between the two and the air was stifling. Kohaku heard a sound and quickly moved so that it would seem as though they had taken a break to get something to drink. She found an old tray and placed four glasses on it. Yugi watched in slight confusion as she filled the glasses with ice before adding water. He understood when her Grandfather walked in.

"I thought something had happened," He muttered, "You took off in such a hurry."

"It was just a thought that struck me, sorry for worrying you, Ji-Chan," She stated.

She hated lying to him. He was the only family she had left. She needed him the dark about what had happened. He wanted her to have friends, well it seemed like he was getting his wish. She would be friends with Yugi just to make him happy.

She brought the water outside and everyone took a break. The weather was nice, but a bit cool. Fall was upon them and the weather was starting to reflect it. The flowers they just planted would die within a month or two, but at least it will look nice for a short amount of time.

"Do you like flowers, Kohaku-Chan?" Yugi was attempting friendship once again, he was surprised when she nodded.

"I'm fond of yellow roses," She admitted.

It was because they meant joy and friendship. They used to always bring a smile to her face. She didn't know if they could still do that. She was a different person from then. She looked towards the rose bushes that needed to be planted and got up to plant them.

It was quiet after everything had been planted. Sugoroku and Kohaku's Grandfather was playing a game of chess while Yugi and Kohaku talked. Well, Yugi mostly talked while she gave a nod of her head or a short answer. He didn't bring up the carvings in her flesh and she acted like they weren't there.

It was the start of a very strange friendship.


	2. Chapter 2

**I just started the Japanese Dub for duel monsters, and I love how extra everyone is. I like Shunsuke Kazama better than Dan Green and I grew up with Dan. I'm a bit shook at that. Anyway, to the story!**

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Chapter 2 _Bullying_

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Kohaku stared at the uniform she had just taken out of the plastic bag. It was the standard uniform. It was clean and neatly pressed, and it looked ready to be worn. There was only one problem. One major problem that was staring her in the face.

It was the boy's uniform. She picked up the dark blue fabric of the boy's uniform and gave a sigh. It was the smallest one the school had, seeing as she was the smallest girl in her grade. Apparently, it was a temporary fix until a female uniform her size was available. She had a feeling it was going to be the pastel pink and blue one.

Her Grandfather couldn't help but smile as she walked into the Café. She looked a bit uncomfortable as she buttoned the last button on her uniform jacket. If he didn't know her, he'd think she was a he. A very short he, much like Yugi.

"Are you heading to school?" He asked as he tucked a pencil behind his ear and set his note pad down.

"Yes, I still need my books and class schedule," Kohaku replied, "See you later, Ji-Chan."

She left after that and he sighed upon realizing something. She had forgotten her lunch. He was worried that she had forgone it. She needed food. Her doctor had specifically stated that she needed the food. He would just have to make sure to make a larger dinner.

Kohaku looked up at the school and took a minute to catch her breath. The walk had been a long one, but it was tolerable. She just wasn't physically fit, far from it. It was the main reason she had gotten up so early.

It hadn't taken long to get her schedule and books. Students were filing into the school doors as she changed shoes. It hadn't taken long for the student body to give her a wide berth.

They all seemed to sense that she was different. She brought a hand to her arm and scratched at the carving in her skin. It was an absent-minded action as she found her classroom. Class 1-B. She found the teacher, the blonde from the other day that wore a two-piece suit and waited to be introduced.

"This is Suzuki Kohaku," The Teacher introduced in a sugary sweet voice that just sounded wrong.

"It's nice to meet you all," Kohaku stated in her monotone before giving a small bow.

"What a freak," A girl whispered to her friend.

"He's so weird looking," A boy muttered.

"You'll be sitting in the last seat in the left corner of the room, Suzuki-Kun," The Teacher informed Kohaku in a sweet voice.

Kohaku gave a curt nod and headed towards her designated seat. Someone swung a foot out and caused her to stumble slightly. Eventually, she sat at her desk. She could only marvel at her luck of having the entire class dislike her already.

She looked around the class before the lecture and noticed that Yugi was in there with her. He noticed her and she got an uneasy smile from the boy. Even he was unnerved by her. How could he not be? She had carvings in her skin.

The teacher began her lecture and the classroom was filled with the sound of her voice and pencils scratching against paper. Every so often a chair would squeak when someone moved. The lecture was on math. One that was easy for most of the class.

Classes seemed to go by fast and by the time the lunch bell rang, Kohaku was drained. She laid her head on her desk and brought her arms up and folded them, so she had a shield against the sunlight. The other students had left the room to go play basketball and they didn't even ask if she wanted to join. She would've declined, but an invitation would've been nice.

She peeked from under her arms to see if anyone was in the classroom. Yugi was still inside the room, but he was occupied by a golden puzzle. She looked towards her carvings and focused. Blood began to leak from the carvings, and she willed it not to stain her clothing as it moved towards the surface of the desk.

She was reaching into her bag with it when a sharp gasp caused to her to quickly reign it in. She gave a wince at the pain that came from her blood forcibly rejoining her body and turned to glare at whoever broke her concentration. She blinked when she noticed that Yugi was still working on his puzzle. He was so focused that he wasn't making any kind of noise.

She then saw someone standing behind Yugi. He looked identical to the teen, except he had dark skin and crimson eyes, and was staring at her in blank surprise. She looked back at him and noted that she could see through him. She was starting to contemplate telling Yugi that he was haunted by a doppelgänger.

She was surprised when he wavered for a few seconds before being replaced by an even more identical version of Yugi, save for the eyes this time around. This one looked insane and was missing the regal pose of the other one. She looked at him and noted that he seemed to be slightly bloodied and was dripping that all over the floor. She felt a shiver go down her spine as she looked away from the specter. She decided to focus on her only friend in Domino City, well kind of friend at least. She got up and walked over to him. She suddenly felt shy; she made a face at the fact that her shyness was back.

"That's an interesting puzzle, Yugi-Kun," She stated as she stopped by his desk.

He jumped at the sudden sound of her voice. The soft monotone loud in the silence. He turned with wide eyes and noted that she was blankly staring at him. He scratched the back of his head in a sheepish manner and her eyes softened enough that he could tell she was amused.

"It's something my Ji-Chan gave me when I was a kid," Yugi informed her, "I've been working on it for eight years."

He knew that she was going to call him a stupid kid. He could see it whenever people looked at him as he handled games with care. He looked up to meet her eyes in slight defense and noticed that she seemed impressed. He didn't know why she'd be impressed by him.

"Hard work always pays off in the end," She stated, "I think you'll solve it."

He hadn't expected that from her, and his face showed it. She looked towards the door and narrowed her eyes at the blonde that was standing there. It was the kid from the other day that had been bothering Yugi. He had a thoughtful expression on his face and turned away from the room upon noticing her.

"Are you planning on joining any clubs, Kohaku-Chan?" Yugi asked her, grabbing her attention once again.

"I don't really know," She muttered with a small shrug, "I might join the gardening club or the art club."

"You can draw?" He asked in surprise.

"Y-Yeah," She nodded feeling embarrassed at his surprise, "It's a hobby of mine."

He gave a small smile at that. He was glad she wasn't a complete block of ice. She just didn't express her emotions that much. He watched as she pushed her hair away from her face and caught sight of her left eyebrow. There was a small scar that split the end of it. It was barely noticeable but split the brow into two separate parts.

"I wish I could draw," Yugi muttered.

"Anyone can draw, it just takes practice," She stated.

If he didn't know any better, he'd say she was amused. He watched as she fidgeted, and her left hand went to her right arm. He was starting to figure out her ticks. It was easy to figure out what she was feeling if one watched how she moved. The slightly slumped shoulders and fidgety nature told him that she was slightly uncomfortable and somewhat nervous. He made a face at his deduction; he'd been playing too much poker with his Grandfather.

The bell rang and the class began to fill up as the students returned for the last two hours. The next teacher began to lecture about Chemistry and quite a few of the students fell asleep during it. It could be a dull subject, not something that the students could pay attention to after lunch. The teacher was a man who was relatively well known in the field of chemistry, he was just unlucky enough to have a monotone voice.

Eventually, school ended, and the students were all packing up. Kohaku kept a hand on the front of her desk and was reaching for her bag when the chair in front of her slammed into her fingers. She didn't even flinch and simply paused as she reached for her bag. She knew it was on purpose when the chair was sat in by the boy who's seat it was.

She sighed and latched her left foot to the bottom of his chair before giving a sharp yank. He was sent out of his chair and she freed her fingers. She grabbed her bag and headed out of the classroom. She just wanted to change her shoes and head home.

She bumped into someone as she was heading down the stairs. The dark uniform let her know that it was another male student. She narrowed her eyes in annoyance and looked up at him. He was interesting, to say the least.

He had dark hair and thick eyebrows set in a perpetual scowl. He was significantly taller than her and she had to crane her head back to even look him in the eyes. He narrowed his dark eyes at her, and she knew better than to use female pronouns around this guy. He oozed corruption.

"I'm sorry," She apologized with a small bow of her head.

"You're Suzuki Kohaku-Kun, right?" The boy asked.

"I might be," She replied, using Boku instead of Watashi to appear as a boy, "Who're you?"

"I am Testu Ushio," The boy answered, "Head of the disciplinary committee."

"I see," She muttered.

Her previous thoughts on corruption had been right. If he was good at his job, then the bullying in the school wouldn't be as bad as it was. She tightened her grip on her school bag and her injured fingers gave a cry of protest. She was starting to want retribution. She slightly froze at that before remembering the problem at hand.

"Is there something I can help you with, Ushio-San?" She questioned with a raised brow.

"Are you having a bullying problem, Kohaku-Kun?" He inquired.

"No, I'm not having a bullying problem, Ushio-San," She stated as she gave a soft sigh, "I would like to go home, so, please excuse me."

Her walk home was slow. She didn't have to hurry, and she decided to take her time to think about how quickly rumors spread at her new school. Her bullying had only started just that day, but Ushio already knew about it. It bothered her more than she wanted to admit.

"Oi, Kohaku-Kun!" A voice called out to her and she turned to see the blonde from the other day.

She made a face and picked up the pace. She didn't want to talk to him, especially since he bullied Yugi. She cared more about that then she wanted to admit. She made an annoyed face as the boy caught up with her.

"W-Wait up," He stated, "I wanted to ask you something."

"I'm sure you can do it while walking," She snapped at him.

"How can I apologize to Yugi?" He asked.

She stopped in her tracks and gave him a harsh look. He withered under it and wondered how someone so small could have that much malice. He backed up when she started to walk towards him. She didn't look like the kind to start a confrontation. She looked like she was far too wimpy to win a fight.

"You want to apologize to him?" She hissed, "Then why not start by actually trying to know him, Yugi-Kun is a nice person who doesn't deserve the shit you've been putting him through."

He moved back at that and bowed his head. She blinked at his actions, unused to remorse from people like him. She wondered if her words struck a chord with him. He might have some form of kindness in him.

"How can I do that without Mazaki getting on my case?" He quietly asked.

"I…Who?" She questioned in confusion.

"Mazaki Anzu, his childhood friend," He answered with a grimace, "She has one hell of a right hook and I don't want to be behind that."

"Why'd you ask me?" She asked with a small frown.

"Aren't you friends with Yugi?" He questioned in confusion.

"Our Ji-Chan's are old friends," She shrugged as she began to walk again, "I met him yesterday, he's nice."

He made a face at that. She had sounded so cold about it. No emotion had been shared. He looked back towards the school before deciding to follow her. He really needed the help. Even if she was socially inept.

"I'm home," She stated as she opened the door to the café.

The cheerful jingle of a bell greeted her as she looked around. The café was still in the process of being renovated and was empty because of it. She felt her left eyebrow twitch in annoyance as the blonde followed her in. He had decided to tag along with her no matter how hard she tried to lose him.

"You made a friend!" Her Grandfather exclaimed with a grin, "Thank you for being friends with my Granddaughter, I'm Suzuki Daiki."

"N-Nice to meet you, Suzuki-San," The blonde stated as he sent Kohaku a surprised look.

He felt like such an idiot for not noticing that he was a she. She may have been extremely androgynous, but there was a slight curve to her body, and her facial features were extremely soft. Now that he thought about it, she was very pretty. His cheeks turned a light pink at that thought.

"What do you think of Banana muffins?" Daiki asked Kohaku.

"I don't know," Kohaku shrugged, "They might be popular, they might not."

Daiki made a face at that and headed back to the kitchen area of the café. The two teens found a table that was set and took a seat. The two were going to talk, or at least try to talk. That way everything would finally end.

"How easy is it to get to know Yugi?" The blonde asked.

"He's friendly, a bit shy, but overall friendly," She stated as she took out her homework and began to work on it, using her non-dominate hand due to her the fingers on her dominant hand being smashed earlier, "Just apologize and listen to what he says."

"He can't talk that much," The blonde muttered.

"He likes games, try talking about that with him," She suggested with a quiet sigh as she looked at the math problem in front of her, "It's childish but it's something he likes."

The blonde couldn't help but think that a part of her was jealous about Yugi's child-like innocence. It seemed to be a part of her that died a long time ago. He was curious, but not that curious. She seemed like the kind of person who listened before speaking. Someone that could ruin a person's life with just a few words.

"Jounouchi Katsuya," The blonde stated out of the blue, "That's my name."

"You should probably head home, Jounouchi-Kun," Kohaku stated as she looked at the watch on her wrist, "It's getting late and Domino City has those troubling thugs."

His amber eyes widened at that and he quickly headed out. Kohaku stared at his retreating figure with a thoughtful expression on her face. He was nicer than she originally thought. He wasn't like him at all, just rough around the edges. Possibly full of self-hatred as well.

She shrugged and turned back to her homework. She wanted to get it done before dinner. It wasn't due until Friday, but she knew that if she got it done early, she would have time for her hobbies. She paused on a particularly hard math equation and sat there for a few minutes before bringing out her textbook.

An hour passed and she started to work on her Japanese literature homework. She was trying to write a rough draft about the poem いろは. The classic version without any Kanji. She gave a sound of thanks when Daiki placed a snack at her table with some tea.

Two hours later and she was done with her homework for the week. She closed her books and grabbed all her papers before getting up from her chair. Her stomach gave a lurch at the sudden movement and she covered her mouth with her right hand. That snack was a little too rich for her stomach. She dropped her school items and took off towards the café bathroom.

Daiki heard the clattering of items against the plastic on the café floors. He quickly headed out of the kitchen to see school supplies all over the floor. The sound of retching hit his ears and he winced. He had taken a gamble to see if she could hold down something sweet. It ended up being a loss. He gave a sad sigh before heading to the kitchen to make some soup for Kohaku.

A half-hour later Kohaku entered the apartment and slowly removed her shoes. She stumbled up the stairs and slowly walked to her room. Her body was aching, and she felt gross. She wanted a shower and some sleep.

She easily got one of those things. She walked out of the bathroom with a purple long-sleeved pajama shirt and a pair of sleep shorts. She was busy drying her hair with a towel when Daiki walked in with a tray. He motioned towards the bed and she didn't even put up a fight and climbed under the covers.

Daiki looked around the room and noted that everything was neat and tidy, save for the desk that was pushed up against the window. He looked at her bookshelf and noticed a glossy black book between two thick volumes. He got up and pulled it from its spot. The Book of Blood? He unbuckled its strap and opened it. He was amused at a book on the occult.

"This book is interesting," He stated as he held it up to Kohaku, "How many occult books do you own?"

"T-Three," Kohaku stammered out a response.

She had paled even further upon seeing the only person she truly cared about holding a book that had given her powers. She blinked when it was placed on her bedside table and the tray with her empty dishes removed from her lap. She got a kiss on her forehead and her Grandfather left her to sleep. She brought a hand up to her forehead and a tiny smile appeared on her face.

It quickly disappeared as she picked up the book. She opened it and noticed that the parchment paper showed information on the occult. A red dot appeared on the spine of the book and bleed across the pages. All the information on the occult was gone and in its place was information on what the contract entailed.

The contract was different for each person who signed it, but there were some similarities. One of which was seeing the dead and protecting the mind from serious mind control. It also allowed for something called a shadow game, but that was for certain contracts. She looked at the fine print on her contract and raised a brow. It was a part of her contract but the protection from mind control was missing.

She looked through the pages to see if she could find more information. There was some information about shadow games, and she stopped on that section. Her eyes were glued to the page as she read. A frown appeared on her face.

An unnamed Pharaoh and his Priests used to use the shadow games to pass judgment on criminals? It sounded too good to be true. She read a little further and noted that all souls apparently had a monster trapped within them. It was referred to as a Ka in the book.

She could see hers. It was on a page in full color, not red as the text had been. Hers was a woman with long white hair with a ridiculous white hat on. It was an outlandish monster, but it struck a chord with her and a single name tumbled out of her mouth.

"Silent Magician?" She questioned.

The monster in question moved on the page and she slammed the book shut. She didn't want to deal with any more weirdness. She placed it back on her bedside table and laid back in her bed. She looked towards her ceiling and frowned at the fact that she'd have to get up and turn the lights off.

She looked towards her clothed arms and sighed. She may have said she didn't want any more weirdness, but she really didn't want to get up. She already hurt more than she wanted to due to how her stomach revolted against her. She pulled the covers up to her shoulders and got comfortable.

It didn't take her long to relax and summon forth the blood. It slowly snaked down the side of her mattress before slithering across the wood floor. She started to sweat when it traveled up the wall and flicked the light switch. The lights turned off and the only source of light in her room came from her alarm clock.

In the red electronic light, she watched in fascination as the blood traveled back to her. It was almost mesmerizing how it moved in the dark. It didn't hurt when she gradually brought it back to her body, it seemed to hurt more when she forced it back in a quick manner. She looked down at the carvings and noted that they were looking better. They didn't look like she had just carved them into her arms.

She rolled onto her left side so she could look out her window. It was open just a crack so air could pass through it. The black curtains floated in the breeze and she caught sight of the highway that stood out amongst the cityscape. She sighed at the sight, something that was different compared to the housing unit in Tokyo she had lived in. She watched the traffic moving until she fell asleep.

Her dreams ranged from the horrible to terrifying and more than once she woke up in a cold sweat, sick to her stomach. After the third time, she sat down on her bed and put rested her head in her hands. She could hear her shaky breathing as she attempted to calm down. She ran a hand down her face and decided to get up and grab a glass of water.

With shaking legs, she traversed down the stairs and into the kitchen. She grabbed a glass and headed to the freezer for some ice. It was when she was quietly filling her glass, did she begin to mull over the events of her first day at school. More had happened then she thought would.

She had become better friends with Yugi, which she was okay with. Yugi was no longer going to be bullied by Jounouchi, so she probably had another friend by association. She learned that the entire school, save for two people, thought she was a boy. Then there was only one thing, or someone, that would be a problem.

Tetsu Ushio was going to be a problem. The head of the disciplinary committee? She scoffed at such a motion. He clearly didn't care about doing his job. He cared more about money.

She blinked at that thought and wondered where it had come from. Her arms began to throb in pain where the Ankhs were, and she brought a hand up to gently rub at them. It probably came with her contract. Something that could help her.

Especially if she called upon a shadow game. The small amount of information she read about it made it seem as though knowing one's opponent was a key factor in playing the right game. A shadow game brought out the worst in people. Ushio would easily be defeated in a game where strength was key, and money was the prize.

She rubbed at her temples before turning off the faucet. She grabbed her glass of water and went back to her room. She took a sip from the glass as she entered her room and noticed something. Something that caused her to make a face.

The room was pitch black. She heard a growl behind her, and the door closed. It didn't slam shut and she was somewhat thankful for that. Her eyes hardened and she let out a sigh.

"Show yourself," She ordered, "I refuse to play this game."

It was silent before the shadows receded and the book was left in the middle of the room. She rolled her eyes and walked over to it. It wanted her to know what she could do. She sighed and opened it to the first page.

She quickly read through the first chapter and became engrossed in the book. She was getting ideas and details on how to use her powers. She quickly moved through the shadow game section of the book. She had already read it.

Dawn was breaking by the time she finished the last page. She let out a yawn and rubbed at her eyes. She still felt like crap, so, she'd most likely call in sick to school. She looked down at the glossy black book in her hand and blinked as it began to vanish on her.

She tightened her grip on the book, but it continued to vanish. Within a matter of minutes, her book was gone, and her fingers contacted with her skin. She sat there in a numb shock before rushing to see if the carvings were gone. They were still there.

She sighed as she tried to layer an illusion on them. The book had stated that her contract lied in Magic. She wasn't used to magic. Her illusion looked like her arms were bruised, which was better than the carvings.

She frowned.

Covering them with an illusion seemed like a coward's way out. She honestly didn't care that she had the carvings in her skin. If people were bothered by it, they could go fuck themselves. She removed the illusion and laid back in bed.

She reached above her and grabbed her alarm clock and turned it off. She wanted some sleep. She snuggled into the pillow and shut her eyes. She was welcomed to a somewhat strange dream.

It was about the dark-skinned Yugi look-alike. He didn't say anything or do anything really, but he was there. He stood behind Yugi as she talked to the childlike boy. She looked back at him and the smile he gave her caused her heart to race. Yugi gave a sound of disbelief and she heard herself chuckle before responding.

"Do you feel better?" Her dream was interrupted by Daiki gently shaking her shoulder.

"Not really," She replied.

She winced at how dry her throat was. It even hurt to talk. She sounded like she had gargled a cup of gravel during the night. It was distracting. A hand on her forehead made her blink.

"I'll call the school, go back to sleep," Daiki chided.

"Okay, Ji-Chan," She muttered as she closed her eyes.

She could hear him leave the room and she opened her eyes to look out the window. It looked like the weather was going to be nice. She brought a hand to rest on her pillow and she made a sad face. She was sad to miss out on such nice weather.

Her eyes caught sight of her bruised fingers and she made an annoyed face. At least she didn't have to put up with the pricks at her new school. She flexed her fingers and made a face at how stiff they were. They were going to be like that for a while.

She sighed and closed her eyes. She was tired and felt like crap. She just wanted to sleep. Even if her dreams were weird.

She was facing off against a man with silver hair and a single piercing blue eye. The scene changed on her and she was facing a tan-skinned man with light purple eyes. In front of her was the Silent Magician. There was something over the monster's head. It was a level eight version of the monster?

She didn't get a chance to ponder it any further when her door slammed open. She sat up in bed and held her pillow ready to toss at the intruder. She heard laughter and her eyes narrowed as she put the pillow down. Jounouchi was standing in her doorway.

"That was mean, Jounouchi-Kun!" A familiar voice exclaimed.

She relaxed at the sight of Yugi. At least he seemed happy. Jounouchi seemed a bit happier as well. Something had shifted between those two and it was easy to see. A friendship had apparently blossomed between the three.

She had been expecting it, but it was surreal as the two invited themselves in and sat down on her bed. Her friends back in Tokyo had never taken the time to visit her when she was sick, nonetheless bring her notes. She was touched by the sentimentality. Words rang in the back of her head at that and she pushed them to the back of her mind.

She just wanted to focus on her somewhat perverted friends.


	3. Chapter 3

**It's the first time I've written such a cold character. It's fun to write for someone darker in personality.**

* * *

Chapter 3 _A Puzzle Completed a Spirit Released_

* * *

Kohaku checked her watch as she waited for Yugi outside of the café. It was opening day and he had wanted to visit to get some of the sweet breakfast items that they sold. She couldn't help but sigh as she looked up towards the sky. It was mostly clear with some wispy clouds.

She sighed and closed her eyes, enjoying the nice breeze that tousled her hair. The weather was holding up. It was going to be nice weather up until late November. Domino City got a lot of snow each year.

"Kohaku-Chan, sorry I'm late!" Yugi stated as he jogged up to her.

She didn't respond and he was worried that she had fallen asleep while waiting for him. Could a person even fall asleep standing up? He moved around her and examined her face. He felt his eyebrows raise in surprise.

She didn't look as pale in the sunlight. The bruising under her eyes looked better as well, her long lashes helped to hide it. Her eyes opened and she looked over at him. He was quite glad they were the same height; he wasn't the shortest person on campus anymore.

"Jounouchi-Kun was supposed to be here as well," She stated with a slight frown, "Of course, he's going to run a bit late."

Yugi gave a light chuckle at that and sheepishly scratched the back of his head. His newest friends seemed to be at odds with each other. He smiled at the thought of having new friends. He didn't even need to make a wish on his puzzle for them!

"Sorry, I'm late!" Jounouchi stated as he ran up to them, "I ran into some trouble on the way here."

"At least you made it," Kohaku muttered as she opened the door to the café and herded them in.

The interior of the café had changed from its pastel colors and checkered floor. Instead of the pastel pink that the walls had been, a calming cream had been used instead. The checkered pink and blue floors were gone and replaced with dark wood. Even the décor was different, and it had a calming effect for the customers inside.

It was busy and there was a dull roar of noise as the customers talked to one another. The main kind of customer they seemed to have were foreigners and tourists. Yugi watched as one came up to Kohaku and asked the small teen a question in broken Japanese. He was surprised when she patiently answered in slow Japanese so that the person would be able to understand it.

Jounouchi took that as a chance to go grab the food. Daiki had made three bags for the teens so that they'd have some breakfast. Kohaku's was labeled since the food inside of it wouldn't upset her stomach. It was light enough that she could eat it and not suffer. It was an apology of sorts for taking a gamble with what she could eat.

"Here you guys go," Jounouchi stated as he held out the bags.

"Thank you," Kohaku muttered as she grabbed the bag with her name on it.

"Thank you, Jounouchi-Kun!" Yugi exclaimed with a grin.

Jounouchi gave his cheek a small scratch as his ears turned red in embarrassment. He wasn't used to being thanked. He was used to being cursed by other people. He took off and the two quickly followed behind him. He became a mother duck and they the ducklings.

He glanced at Kohaku from the corner of his eyes. She was searching through her bag for something small that she could eat on the go. She looked better than the previous day. She had looked haggard and clammy when they visited. Now she seemed fine, a bit tired, but okay.

"Have either of you ever met Ushio-San?" She asked out of the blue.

"He's head of the disciplinary committee, he's tried getting on Honda's and my case," Jounouchi answered, "I've heard rumors that he's attempting to shake people down with "bodyguard fees", but he's doing it without being too obvious."

"He asked if I was being bullied," Yugi answered with a thoughtful expression.

"He asked the same of me," She stated with a frown, "That's concerning, I'll look into it more."

"What do you mean?" Jounouchi asked with a frown of his own.

"If he's going to end up targeting Yugi-Kun and me, I'd rather be prepared," She answered with a shrug, "You can easily ruin someone's life by airing out their dirty laundry, even more so when you have evidence to back it up."

"How are you going to get evidence?" Yugi asked with a small frown.

"Listening around, I might be able to bullshit my way through it," She muttered as she tapped a finger against her chin.

"That's pretty dark," Jounouchi commented.

"It was how we dealt with bullies back in Tokyo," She shrugged, "I was in a few business classes as an elective. The first thing they teach you is to know your enemy and then bring them down."

The two boys gained a slightly scared and awe-struck look. What kind of school did she go to? They quickly wiped their faces clear of the expression when she turned to face them. It explained the cold demeanor she constantly had.

Honda was waiting at the school gate for Jounouchi and frowned at the appearance of the smaller teens. Jounouchi shook his head at the brunette and gave a small smile. He turned towards Kohaku and she sighed. She gave him a small nod and walked past him and motioned towards Yugi to follow.

"I guess Jounouchi-Kun hasn't told Honda-Kun yet," Yugi muttered as they entered the school and changed their shoes.

"Yeah," She agreed as she put her bag over her shoulder.

"Did you finish the homework already?" He asked her as they walked to the classroom.

"It's easier to have it done the day of assignment and have time for myself," She shrugged.

Yugi nodded his head in understanding before smiling. She was talking to him. It was a step in the right direction. All he needed to do was get her to smile.

He tilted his head as he tried to think of what that would look like. He remembered how her eye would soften when she was happy. Maybe that and a small curve of the lips? That image caused his cheeks to heat up, she'd look cute with a smile.

He nodded to himself. It was a new plan. He was going to get Kohaku to smile. It wasn't going to be an easy task, but he had a feeling that he could accomplish it.

Kohaku watched as Yugi had an inward debate with himself. She slightly shook her head before heading over to her seat. The boy that sat in front of her wasn't there yet, so she was safe to put her hand on the edge of her desk as she placed her school bag on the little rack for it. She was sitting up when a chair slammed into her fingers. She gave a sigh and looked up towards the sneering brunette and his laughing girlfriend.

"We went through this yesterday," She pointed out, "Surely, you have better things to do?"

"Trust me, I wouldn't waste time on a freak like you," The boy stated as he sat down and leaned back in his chair.

Kohaku stared at him for a few seconds. She knew that they had an audience this time around. She could hear Yugi gasp. She needed to end this quickly. She wanted this to end so she could write with her left hand again.

She mentally eyed her opponent and gauged his strength. He wasn't that tough, and it seemed as though he was only doing it to impress the girl. Her previous assumption of them already dating had been wrong. The glint in that girls' eyes stated that she wasn't interested in the boy.

She got up to her feet and brought her uninjured hand up. She reached into his hair and grasped onto the oily locks. He let out a growl before she brought his head forward and slammed it into the desk. She wasn't a violent person, but she knew this was the best way to be left alone. No one would bother her after this.

"Listen here, you little fucker," She softly hissed in his ear, she could feel the shiver go down his spine, "I wouldn't be mad if you weren't constantly slamming the chair into my dominant hand, but a big man like you had to compensate for something, don't you."

"Y-You freak!" The boy stated.

"Yes, I am," She stated without missing a beat, "But I don't go around belittling people for being different."

She added more strength behind her hold, and he let out a slight yelp. She was digging his face into the desk to make a point. To send a message to others who would come after her. It seemed to be effective as the girl ran off.

"Take the hint," She hissed, "Leave me the fuck alone or I can and will air out all of your dirty little secrets, remember the walls have ears."

Slowly, but surely the chair was removed from her fingers and she released his hair with a slight shove. His head hit the desk and he let out a hiss of his own as she sat back down. She looked at her hand and noted that the digits, that were already bruised, looked worse than the day before. They hurt to move, and she knew she'd be having trouble writing for a while.

Yugi stared at her with wide eyes as the teacher walked in. She had just stopped someone from bullying her by force. He knew exactly what she did. She sent out a message to any future bullies that she'd fight back. She wasn't the wimpy boy that they all thought she was. She just didn't like violence and would rather use her words than fists.

Jounouchi and Honda walked in at the same time and the teacher shot them a dirty look as he took attendance. The two had missed the confrontation and were confused to the gossiping that was going on around them. Kohaku had gone from creepy and wimpy in some girls' eyes to a complete bad boy. It made Jounouchi want to laugh. It was a strange picture to even visualize her flirting back with some of the girls.

He looked over to where the ash-haired girl was taking diligent notes and gave a low snort. A few people looked over at him and he sent them a look. It made them look away. He had sent a message his first day at Domino High that he wouldn't be fucked with, by the story he was hearing Kohaku had just done the same.

The bell for recess rang and Yugi was surprised when all his rougher friends sat at his desk instead of taking off. For once he found someone to play games against. He hadn't expected Kohaku to play against him. They were evenly matched in strategy, and that almost scared him as he eyed the chess board in front of them.

"Did you really beat someone's head into a desk?" Honda questioned Kohaku.

"I don't fancy violence, but I will use it if necessary," She replied before looking extremely tired, "It's not my favorite thing to do."

Yugi hummed in agreement at that and looked to his bag. He should work on the puzzle at lunch, he knew that Honda and Jounouchi always bothered the girls in basketball at that time. He moved his chess piece forward and he could almost see the gears turning in Kohaku's head as she looked for a good strategy to use. He was close to putting her in check, but she was good at figuring out a way to get out of it.

The bell rang and they had to leave the game at a draw as the cycle started all over again. Kohaku found herself bored by the teacher who usually taught homeroom. Chono-Sensei was the blonde woman who had sneered at her the moment she walked in. She wore far too much makeup in her opinion.

She looked down at her notes and narrowed her eyes at how untidy her writing was. She could read it, but it was normally very neat. Her hand was bothering her more than she thought it would. She really should've done more to the boy in front of her.

They sat through two more teachers until lunch was called. Jounouchi and Honda took off to go bother the female population of the school and Kohaku went to go see what clubs there were. As much as she knew she'd enjoy the art or gardening club she really wanted to join an occult club. It would give her a chance to use her tarot cards.

Yugi stayed behind and worked on his puzzle. No one wanted to bother him since he had made friends with the two delinquents and the surprisingly violent new kid. The gold pieces started to click together faster than they ever had before. His wish hadn't changed, he would always want a friend who would never betray him. He felt as though he didn't have to worry about such things anymore. A few more pieces got together and felt elated at the fact that it seemed as though he was going to finish it.

Kohaku was looking at the board with the club information and put her hands into the pockets of her school slacks. She was being followed by a group of girls and one boy, and it was making her uncomfortable. She sighed before sending a look their way. They scattered and she went back to looking at the board.

There wasn't any occult club. It wasn't a requirement to join a club at Domino High, but she had gotten used to it. None of the clubs interested her. She scratched the back of her head and decided to head back to the classroom to have some lunch.

She stopped when she noticed Yugi being led outside by Ushio. She slowly began to follow, she would most likely get her ass handed to her by the older boy, but Yugi was her friend. He saw past the carvings in her arms and was still nice to her. She owed him, more than he knew. He kept it secret and that's why she owed him.

The two turned a corner and she heard Yugi cry out two familiar names. Honda and Jounouchi? She began to move without thinking about it. She came around the corner and noticed a bruised and bloody Honda and Jounouchi on the ground next to one another.

"What the hell?" She muttered as she walked forward.

"Kohaku-Kun, you were bullied by these two as well?" Ushio asked her and she stopped to face him.

"I will deal with you momentarily, so shut your mouth for a few seconds," She stated in a cold monotone before walking towards her fallen friends.

Yugi was right beside her as she knelt and checked the two for a pulse. There was one, but they were weak. She narrowed her eyes at Ushio and stood up. He was going to pay for what he did to them.

"What gives you the right to harm others?" She quietly asked as she began a slow walk towards Ushio.

Yugi quietly gulped at the sight. There was something menacing when she walked that way. Her back was straight, and her eyes shone with anger. It surprised him that she was a wave of calm anger, not one that was loud like Jounouchi or Honda.

"It's my duty as a disciplinary committee member," Ushio stated, "There is a small fee though, a bodyguard fee if you will."

"We didn't sign a contract or ask for this, so any fee is nullified," She immediately stated as she crossed her arms across her chest, "This was done of your own accord, so shunt off."

That was a strange thing to say. Yugi couldn't help but look at her in confusion. She kept up the cold expression on her face and her posture was still straight. She wouldn't apologize for saying that, one of her friends from Tokyo came from Britain and was very northern. She had picked up some slang from her without meaning to.

"Tch," Ushio clicked his tongue, "You little brat."

He moved forward to hit her but she easily sidestepped it. She sighed quietly. She was able to read her opponent. He was very simple in the way that he moved, and that made it easy for her to dodge his attacks.

He did fake her out and she wasn't fast enough to move back. He grabbed onto the front of her uniform and picked her up. His eyes widened for a few seconds and she mentally cursed. When his eyes gained a familiar glint to them, she brought her foot up and slammed it into his face.

"You bitch!" He cried as he dropped her and held his now broken nose.

She didn't respond to that as she fixed her uniform. He was more likely to just beat the crap out of her than the alternative. She was right as he rushed her, and she barely had time to dodge his attack. She wasn't lucky when he caught onto her uniform and easily tossed her to the ground. She slid a little and the dirt cut up her palms and cheek.

"Kohaku-Chan!" Yugi yelled in alarm.

He received a blow to the side of his face from Ushio as the larger teen moved forward to finish the job on the small female. Yugi hit the ground and winced as pain shot up his arms. He was forced to watch as Ushio stepped on the down girl's leg to get her to scream. She didn't even flinch. She instead turned to face him with a blazing blue eye.

"Oh, you'll have to try harder than that to actually hurt me," She stated.

Yugi began to push himself up to his feet and watched as Ushio backed up in fear and disgust. He didn't know why until he saw the blood pooling around her hands. He could see where it was coming from and his eyes widened in horror. There was so much of it and it wouldn't stop.

"You freak!" Ushio exclaimed, "The bodyguard fee is two hundred thousand yen, each, you better pay up or else!"

"Two hundred thousand?" Yugi muttered in disbelief.

He turned on his heel and quickly walked away from the group. Kohaku stayed on the ground and attempted to get her anger under control. She could see the shadows of the building moving in time to her heartbeat and she was starting to get scared. The blood around her hands began to slowly go back into her and she flinched from the pain.

"Kohaku-Chan!" Yugi called as he ran up to her, "Are you okay?! There's so much blood."

"I'll be fine," She replied as she slowly stood up, leaving some blood on the ground, "Let's get these two to the nurse's office."

Yugi gave a curt nod at that and the two teens took the two to the nurse's office. It was an impressive feat considering how small the two were. The nurse took one look at them and quickly helped the taller boys who looked far worse than the other two. She finished with them before bandaging Yugi and Kohaku. Kohaku had thrown up an illusion over her forearms and was thankful that Yugi didn't say anything.

He didn't really see it as he had left to go grab something. When he came back Kohaku was scratching at a bandage on her cheek. Her expression was one of dislike as she fought the urge to rip the damn thing off. She sighed and put her hand into her pockets.

They headed back to class and Yugi spent the time nervously writing his notes. He was worried about Ushio, and it showed with how he kept glancing at the clock. He was trying to make time go faster, but it just wasn't working. He looked over towards Kohaku and noticed that she didn't seem bothered by Ushio.

She was writing in her notes with same poise as she had been before they got beat up. She wasn't worried, if she wanted to, she could learn how to perform a shadow game and use it on the upperclassman. He went after Yugi and that was unforgivable. He was the only person who had wanted to be her friend in this town, and she made a mental oath to make sure he was safe and happy. Damn the consequences of what happens to her.

School ended and Yugi stayed close to Kohaku as they started to walk home. Jounouchi and Honda had come back halfway through the last class and had given the two nods. They were going to get revenge on Ushio, it was most likely going to backfire on them. They'd see tomorrow if the two were all right.

They went their separate ways. Yugi headed home to the Game shop and Kohaku went home to help her Grandfather our with the café. She got a cup of coffee out of it, so she wasn't too upset. It was when they were closing, and the door opened that she got upset.

"We're closing," She stated as she walked around the counter to see who had entered, "Yugi?"

Yugi was standing there, but he looked different. He looked more like the boy that had been standing behind him in class. She clenched her fists and felt the blood beginning to ooze out of her carvings in preparation for an attack. The boy set her on edge, even with those dreams she had of him.

His crimson eyes were looking at her, but all she could see was insanity reflected in them. He tilted his head and the smile he gave her made her skin crawl. He walked towards her and she fought the urge to back up. She would not be scared by the spirit possessing her friend.

He stopped in front of her and she blinked when his expression softened. There was still that insanity in his eyes, but there was a bit of respect in them. His fingers ghosted against the bandage on her cheek and he ripped it off. She narrowed her eyes at that and brought a hand up to rub at the sore spot.

"I was right," He stated, the ore really gave credence to the fact that this wasn't Yugi, "You're a contract holder."

"How do you know what that is?" She hissed at him.

"The darkness ripples when a Contract is signed, no matter what kind," He stated as he eyed the clear skin.

The only sign that she had been hurt was the small scar that was slowly fading. She was eyeing him in slight anger as she rubbed at the spot. He was standing up straight, so he was a bit taller than her. The anger faded from her eyes and she became shut off from him, it was a perfect poker face.

"Who are you?" She asked, there was no emotion to her voice.

"Who knows," He shrugged.

She rolled her eyes at that and untied the apron that was around her waist. She was done for the day, so she didn't need it. She sent him a look before flipping the café sign. She didn't even jump when he appeared behind her.

"Why are you here?" She questioned with a small sigh, "It couldn't be just a case of curiosity."

"Your Contract is strange," He muttered as he looked towards her arms, "It's not as dark as it should be."

She didn't have to ask what he meant. She knew that the shadows earlier had been from her getting pissed at Ushio. In her mind, she could see the page in the book that spoke of shadows and she knew something had been wrong. They were supposed to be smooth in movement but hers had been erratic.

Her nose picked up a certain smell and she gave him a frown. He smelt like he had been dunked in the darkness. It was a recent smell and a poignant one that smelt of iron, she dug through her memories to find more pages. She almost snapped as it came to her, that smell came from a shadow game.

"So, who'd you game?" She asked in a nonchalant way.

It was his turn to look surprised. She shouldn't have been able to figure that out. The look she was giving him told him that she knew that. He then figured something out about her just by looking at her eyes.

A natural born magician, huh? No wonder that book came into her possession. He couldn't help but be amused by that as the shadows in the small café bent around the two. The ones he controlled held a smooth movement and gently pushed against her more erratic ones.

"Want a drink?" She asked, "I was about to make some tea with the electric kettle."

He gave a curt nod and she motioned towards a table. He slowly walked over to it and kept an eye on her. She did the same as she made the tea. He had found a worthy opponent in mind games.

"Here," She stated as she placed a teacup in front of him.

He could smell the tea and he blinked. It was a heavy blend of spices that were used to calm someone down. He noted that her tea was the exact same. He picked up his cup and took a small sip of the hot liquid. He found that he liked it, even with the slightly bitter aftertaste of lemon.

"Its chamomile," She stated with a small shrug, "It was a safe option."

Those words meant nothing to him. He looked down at the tea and gathered that was what it was called. He looked up in time to see her tuck her hair behind her ears. She had quite a few piercings in her ears, three holes in the bottom and one at the top of her ear. She was giving him a look and he finally noticed that he could see both of her eyes with her hair tucked back.

"You hide a very pleasant face," He commented without thinking.

"It reminds me too much of my mother, but thank you," She shrugged.

A dark look crossed her face at the mention of her mother, but she quickly chased it away. He made a mental note of that and took another sip of his tea. He put his empty cup down and she placed her half-full cup onto the table with a gentle hand. She had closed her eyes in thought, and he watched as she gently tapped on her chin.

"You dodged my question as to who you gamed," she muttered, "Was it Ushio-San?"

"Got it in one," He smirked.

There was a ghost of a smirk on her face before it quickly vanished. She wasn't surprised by that, and she didn't feel bad for the older teen. Had she not planned on doing the same to him? That'd make her a hypocrite if she had an issue with it.

"He had it coming," She stated, "He really shouldn't have gone after Yugi."

The spirit nodded his agreement at that. Yugi had wished for a friend that would never betray him. That's what the spirit will be for the boy. Even if there had been a smaller, secondary wish in the back of his mind. A mission to make the girl in front of him smile.

He couldn't tell if that was a mission fated to fail. She didn't seem like the type to go around smiling. She picked up her cup of tea once again and took a sip. She was colder than he expected.

"I should get my host home," He stated.

"Right," She nodded as she sat up from her chair, "Have a good night."

He paused as he was standing up and looked over at her. She was picking up the empty teacups and looked normal. When her head tilted, he could see the tips of her ears, they were red. He smirked at that, perhaps his host can get her to smile.

She heard the door close when the bell jingled. She mentally berated herself. She had said that without thinking! That was embarrassing! She huffed as she cleaned the empty teacups and the kettle before locking up the café door.

She headed inside the apartment and noted that dinner was waiting for her on the table. It was some bread and soup, but it was enough to help build up her tolerance so she could have some heavier foods. She hadn't had an actual sandwich in two years. That was the first thing she was going to eat when her tolerance built up.

She cleaned her dishes after she finished and headed to her room to take a shower and get ready for bed. Daiki was already asleep, and she gave a soft smile at that. It fell from her face as she entered her room and grabbed a pair of clean pajamas. Her shower was quick, and she brushed her teeth afterward.

She was laying in bed staring up at the ceiling. Her thoughts were racing. She sighed when a pair of crimson eyes passed through her thoughts. She immediately tensed at that.

She couldn't possibly have a crush on the spirit. He was a dead guy, and possibly way older than he looked. She touched the spot on her cheek where the bandage had been and felt the skin heat up. She closed her eyes and gave a quiet groan.

She had it bad, for a dead guy. Somewhere her mother was laughing at her misfortune. She clenched her jaw at that thought and felt the tears stinging her eyes. She wasn't going to forgive the woman for giving up as she had.

Never.


	4. Chapter 4

Guest: I really, _really_ hope that is a bell joke. But thank you for the review?

Queen of Stars: Thank yoouuu! I'm glad you like this!

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Chapter 4 _Lying Eyes_

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Kohaku sighed as she placed her new school bag on her shoulder. She had to get a new one because the bag part of it tore open when she walking home last week. It's probably what she gets for carrying so much. At least she made Jounouchi help her get her things home.

She then tugged on the skirt of the uniform she had gotten in. The female uniform finally came in, and she thanked her Grandfather for getting the elongated skirt. It was the pink and blue uniform and she couldn't help but think she looked a little washed out. It wasn't her choice of color, but at least it wasn't the male uniform. She was mostly likely going to regret those words later on.

She headed down the stairs and was immediately blinded by the flash of a camera. She rubbed at her eyes and sent Daiki a dirty look. He was grinning as he removed the drying picture from his Polaroid camera. He just had to blind her, didn't he?

He hummed to himself and headed back to the café. She shook her head in slight amusement before walking to the kitchen for her breakfast. Being in her Grandfathers care for a week had helped her stomach grow stronger.

She could almost eat that sandwich that was her goal. She could eat fries, but nothing else that was greasy. She bit into her toast and looked towards the clock. She had ten minutes till she was supposed to meet up with Yugi, Jounouchi, and Honda. The four of them had taken to walking to school.

They still hadn't gotten past her monotone and cold demeanor. She didn't doubt that they would. Her friends were a stubborn bunch, much like her. It almost brought a smile to her face, almost.

She quickly finished her breakfast and cleaned her plate. She needed to hurry so she wouldn't be late. She headed through the café and got a coffee to go from her Grandfather. A few of the regular customers looked amused as she headed out. She was usually the first one there.

She couldn't help it. She really didn't want to be seen in the girl uniform. She felt like a box of pastels had thrown up on her. She also woke up late due to a strange dream about the spirit who had caused Ushio to go insane and call the trash outside of the building his treasure.

"You were almost late!" Jounouchi exclaimed as she came to a stop outside of a calorie burger.

"Look at this uniform and say that you wouldn't do the same if you had to wear this monstrosity," She stated with a frown.

"I think you look cute, Kohaku-Chan," Yugi stated with a sweet smile.

She closed her eyes and decided to take the compliment. She gave him a nod of thanks and elbowed Jounouchi in the side when he began to snicker. She wasn't in the mood to put up with his bullshit. He hissed slightly when her bony elbow dig into his ribs and spared her a small pout.

"So, did I make it before Honda-Kun?" She asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah, he had to go help clean up the school," Jounouchi stated as they began to walk, "Chono-Sensei got on his case about having his hair gelled up in spikes."

"How has she not have a problem with our hair?" She muttered.

"Because it's natural," Jonouchi shrugged before looking towards Yugi, "At least I think it is."

"I was born this way," Yugi defended, "Not even water makes my hair lie flat."

"You came out of the womb ready to go into visual kei," She stated in amusement, "You'd be very popular."

Jounouchi couldn't help but agree with that. Yugi blushed at the implications and looked ready to hide his face behind his hands. She had said that in such a matter of fact way. He wondered if there were somethings she couldn't say without showing some emotion. His mouth then decided to change the subject without consulting his brain.

"Did you see _that_ video last night, Jounouchi-Kun?" He asked as Kohaku began to dig around her bag for something.

"Oh, _that_ one?" Jounouchi hummed before giving a Fox-like grin, "Yeah I did, I squinted as hard as I could and still didn't see anything past the mosaic."

"One could say you weren't squinting hard enough," Kohaku stated as she tore off the plastic from a box of cards, "Isn't that an old wives tale that you'd see something through the mosaic?"

Jounouchi snickered at that and watched as she opened the pack of cards. She was shuffling through twenty-one cards. Each one had a morbid picture on them and he got slightly scared. He moved so that he was a few feet away from her.

"Are those Tarot cards?" Yugi asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, I used to do Tarot readings for the school festivals back in Tokyo," She nodded as she examined the cards, "They were quite popular, apparently some of them came true but I wonder just how many of them were self fulfilling."

"Can you tell me my fortune?" Jounouchi asked her with pleading eyes.

"There should be a please somewhere in that sentence," She stated with a raised brow.

"Please all mighty crypt keeper!" He pleaded.

"Just because of that, no," She stated with a huff.

Yugi couldn't help but laugh at their antics. She looked over at him and her eyes softened. He felt proud. He felt like he was getting closer to having her smile.

He didn't know how right he was about that. Sometimes Kohaku wanted to give Yugi a smile, other times she just wanted to remain constant. She couldn't remember the last time she smiled at someone. It probably had something to do with what happened.

"Would you tell me my fortune?" Yugi asked with a small tilt of his head.

"Sure," Kohaku agreed, somewhat unable to say no to his large eyes.

"He didn't say please," Jounouchi pointed out.

"I like him more," She shrugged.

He made a face at that and narrowed his eyes. He brought her into a headlock and gave her a noogie. She hissed at him and smacked at his hands. He released her after a few seconds and watched in amusement as she attempted to get her hair to lie flat.

When they got closer to the school that all stopped in their tracks. There was a television van parked outside. Yugi blinked in surprise as Jounouchi tilted his head with a small grin. A van like that could only be there for a few things.

"Maybe a celebrity or idol is coming to the school?" Yugi suggested.

"That has to be it," Jounouchi stated as he grabbed onto Yugi's shoulders with a grin.

Kohaku rolled her eyes and walked up to the van. She couldn't see inside, but she just knew there was someone inside. It felt like she was being stared at. She was resisting the urge to kick the van.

"It has one-way glass," She announced getting their attention, "I'd be wary, that's not a good sign of anything positive."

She knew that from experience. She narrowed her eyes at the van and started to slowly walk away from it. Yugi blinked and headed after her. Jounouchi stood still and stared at the van in question.

He had to wonder how much of that was true. There seemed to have been wisdom in her words. He quickly shook his head and followed after them. They were changing their shoes before heading up to the classroom.

Yugi watched as people stared at Kohaku. Her posture was tense, but unwavering. She didn't like the attention, but wasn't about to let it bother her. He moved forward and began to talk about the news of a new game that was going to be published.

Duel Monsters was in production and for the next year or so it would be fine tuned. The rules were going to be similar to that of a tabletop RPG. He saw an interested glint in Kohaku's eyes as he mentioned seeing an ad for a card design competition. He made a mental note to bring it to her. She could possibly win the unknown prize.

"It sounds interesting," She muttered as she nodded at Anzu.

The two had met when Yugi decided to start walking home with Kohaku. It had been a slow friendship due to the rumors and dislike surrounding Kohaku. It hadn't taken long for Anzu to figure out that "he" was actually as she. The friendship had grown after that.

They took their seats and waited for the teacher to walk in. Kohaku knew it was going to be a while and took out her Tarot cards. She was only going to do a three card reading. She closed her eyes and contemplated what the day was going to bring. She placed three cards down and put the deck to the side before grabbing the past card.

She looked at the strength card, so she had control over the morning. That was slightly concerning if she only had it durning the morning. She sighed and moved towards the present card. She was aware of someone watching her and she looked out of the corner of her eye. The spirit was hovering above Yugi with an interested expression on his face. She quickly turned her attention back to the cards and flipped the present card.

Temperance, so her feeling of something wrong wasn't unfounded. She was starting to worry about what her next card was. She was using the Major Arcana with just three cards, but was tempted to add more for a full reading. A full reading would help with the uneasy feeling she was having. She went for her future card and blinked at what she saw.

The hermit. That meant justice was going to be served, but by who? She didn't know if anyone that deserved a punishment. She then narrowed her eyes. Something was going to happen to Yugi, wasn't it?

Her divination brought her feelings of unease. It hadn't been that bad for a while. Two years ago she pulled the moon and sun cards. Moon for the present and sun for the future. Betrayal and imprisonment respectively.

She put her cards away and brought out her notebook to take notes in. She was able to stop herself from tensing when the spirit came as close as he could to her. He was leaning over her shoulder and reading what she was writing, at least it looked like he was trying to. She had to wonder what he was doing.

Did he know that those with a contract could see him? He moved and she had an answer. She felt her hand twitch in annoyance as she continued to take notes. She spared a glance towards Yugi. He was unresponsive as to what was going on.

He wasn't aware of the spirit? Sure, it wasn't something impossible, but it was strange that the spirit hadn't tried to speak to his host. Yugi would've given the spirit a chance and not break the puzzle. The boy spent eight years on it, he would most likely never wear it again.

Recess came around and the three boys crowded around her desk instead of Yugi's. The small teen sat down in front of her with a small smile. She grabbed her Tarot cards and shuffled them. She closed her eyes and focus on the small teen before placing his three cards down.

"You have three cards, past, present, and future," She explained as she motioned towards each card as she stated what they were, "Your past card is the high priestess, your morning was a good one seeing as this card can mean passion."

Jounouchi let out a small smile at that. At least it was going good so far, though the art on the cards were creeping him out. He watched as she picked up the present card and flipped it. Everyone looked down at it.

"Your present is the moon card, someone is going to give you a falsehood or betray you," She stated with a small frown, "I don't believe it is one of us."

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked.

All three have a nod and his shoulders relaxed. He hadn't even realized that he'd been tensing up. He was happy with his friends that they wouldn't betray him. He watched as his future card was revealed.

"The Hermit, it seems as thought you'll get justice for the falsehood brought about in your present," She stated in relief, "That's good. You actually have a good reading here, not many people get the hermit card after the moon card."

"It's all in good fun, right?" Honda asked.

"Yeah," She nodded, "I think when people put too much thought into it, it wills it to life."

Yugi couldn't help but agree with that. He looked down at the moon card and couldn't help but wonder if there _was_ something with his reading. It actually felt like there was. Something strange had happened the moment she had closed her eyes.

"I'll be right back," Yugi excised himself.

Jounouchi wasted no time in sitting down where the small teen had been. Kohaku gave a small sigh at that and sent him a dirty look as she picked up the three cards and shuffled them back into the deck. She would never put forth less effort, even if they annoyed her. Still, she had been joking with him earlier and a reading couldn't hurt.

She closed her eyes and placed the three cards down. Upon placing the deck down on the table she felt like she had been shocked by something. It was the first time that something like that had happened. She ignored it and started to tell her friends fortune. She flipped up his past card and frowned.

"Temperance is usually the card of violence, your past is filled with violence whether it was caused by you or not," She stated as she went to his present card, "The emperor is your present telling that you've had a change in behavior, your future card will tell if it was for the good."

Honda couldn't help but snort at that. It wasn't an overly serious reading, she was taking digs at him after all. He couldn't help but wonder just how accurate her reading could be. The first card was easily explained away, and so was the second. Divination was a subject that was filled with fake psychics and false visions of the future.

"Your last card is judgement, that's good," She stated, "It seems as though you'll have good fortune in the future."

"Nothing specific, right?" Jounouchi asked as he rested his chin in an open palm.

"They are cards after all," She stated in slight amusement, "They have a fixed portrait."

She picked up her cards and turned to Honda with a raised brow. He shook his head and she nodded in understanding before putting them away in her bag. She quietly excused herself and got up from her desk. She wanted to walk outside for a bit and get some fresh air.

As she walked outside she heard the sound of skin hitting skin. She contemplated going back inside when she heard it again, followed by a familiar voice crying out in pain. She began to walk towards it and picked up the pace as the sound grew in intensity. She came upon the scene of Yugi being beat up by an unknown man.

"Aren't you a little old to be beating up kids?" She questioned in her monotone, causing the man to let go of Yugi.

"W-Who are you?" He stuttered out.

"I'm a friend of Yugi's," She stated as she walked towards him and placed herself in front of Yugi, "Anyone that harms my precious friend will have to go through me."

"Kohaku-Chan," Yugi muttered from behind her.

He couldn't help the happiness that passed through him as he looked up at one of his friends standing before him. One day, he too will stand up. That day was not this day. He didn't have the strength to physically stand up nonetheless fight for himself.

The bushes rustled and Kohaku immediately looked towards it. That was highly suspicious. Something glinted in the sun light and she felt livid on Yugi's behalf. They had recorded his beating.

"Show yourself, now!" She ordered in a dangerous low tone.

"All right! Cut!" A man's voice rang out.

Yugi's eyes widened as he saw people move from behind the bushes. There was television equipment surrounding them and a boom mic was lowered as the man holding it rolled his shoulders. He had been recorded? He felt his cheeks burn in embarrassment and shame.

"None of that," Kohaku told him with a serious tone, "This isn't your fault."

"We didn't come here for this teenage romance," The man stated as he fixed his red ball cap.

"I'm sure there's going to be an actors compensation, yes?" She asked with narrowed eyes, "After all you did write up a contract for him, right?"

The man tensed at that and a fox like expression appeared on Kohaku's face. Yugi almost backed away from her. She was in her element and it showed. She was trying to get them to destroy the footage.

"Oh, you didn't?" She stated in a sweet tone, it quickly dropped into a cold one with ease, "Then you know that this is illegal, all of you that work with this man can lose your jobs, destroy all the tapes and I'll keep quiet about it."

"Like we'd actually do that," The Director stated.

He snapped his fingers and she barely had time to dodge a fist coming towards her face. She did however make it easy for them to place one of their cameras up her skirt. A bright blush spread across her face and she brought her foot down on the camera. It easily broke and the crew members that had followed the directions of their boss backed away.

She turned and helped Yugi up to his feet. He was still hurt from Ushio. She mentally cursed at that and began to lead him to the nurses's office once more. The woman who worked there must hate them.

"I'm sorry," Yugi apologized.

"Don't be, its not your fault people are terrible," Kohaku stated as her features softened a little bit.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked with a small tilt of his head.

Her lips parted in thought and he found himself staring at them. He felt his face heat up and quickly looked away. He had a crush on Anzu after all. He quickly looked towards her and his eyes widened. She was smiling. It was a sad smile and the look in her eyes told him of an incredible amount of pain.

"Keep that innocence, Yugi," She told him, "It gets lost so quickly in this world."

He blinked in confusion at that and he expression slowly changed to one of complete neutrality. He found himself disliking that. His world went dark. He wasn't aware of anything anymore.

"Where's that directors station?" The spirit asked.

"Z Tv is in downtown Domino," Kohaku replied with a small frown.

His crimson eyes turned towards her and she raised a brow. He looked pissed beyond belief and she felt the urge to calm him down. He got up and walked towards her. She stayed in her place and he brought a hand up to her face. Her eyes grew wide as a memory played in her mind.

A gentle touch on her face brought her out of it and she looked towards him. His thumbs brushed against her cheeks. It was far more intimate than she was used to. She wanted to back up and almost did so when he moved even closer.

"There's a connection," He murmured as his hands moved down her neck to rest on her shoulders, "How strange."

She couldn't help but wonder what he meant by connection. She then felt a burning pain across her back and winced and then images began to flash in her head. The spirit caught her when her knees gave out and he frowned in worry. He had spent enough time in the puzzle figuring out his emotions and slowly losing the insanity that plagued him to correctly respond to what was happening.

She let out a hiss of pain that was followed by a whimper and watched as red blossomed on the back of her school blazer. He didn't even ask for permission when he lifted the back of her shirt to see what happened. A long red line was across her back, but there was no blood. He looked back down at her clothes and saw that the red was gone. He held a hand to his face as he held her close.

Was she suffering like he had? All those thousands of years trapped in that puzzle ,being tortured in the dark. He heard her shuddering breath against the side of his neck. He held her tighter.

"It's so dark," she muttered and his eyes widened, "Please, I'm scared of the dark."

He stood up, bringing her up with him, and swept her legs from under her. She was light and he didn't doubt that even his host could carry her. He had to take her somewhere where she could calm down. She wasn't used to her contract and her own magical abilities were trying to make the connection with him stronger.

It wasn't a good place for her to be. Her spirit was at war with itself and as she gave a gasp in pain he tightened his grip on her shoulder. Red seemed to blossom from their to her neck and he could see the line form. He didn't like what he line first appeared in the form of a dark purple chain before fading into the red line.

He found place at a park and placed her on a bench under a tree. The park was empty due to it being close to dark and the only thing that was there was a gentle breeze that moved her hair. Her eyes had closed when he placed her down and he knew that her mind was elsewhere. He moved her hair from her face and rubbed a thumb against her cheek before turning away from her.

She'd be safe until he got back. Her shadows would make sure of that. He melded into the shadows around him and focused on Z TV's broadcasting station. It was time for the man to pay for what he did to both his host and Kohaku. The man was getting out of his car by the time he arrived.

The car was sleek with bright red paint and nice detail work on the front in black. It was an expensive looking car and one that had custom paint and plates. 神, was what his plates read. The spirit had to wonder how full of himself he had to be to refer to himself as God.

It didn't matter. What was a God to a nonbeliever anyway? He felt as though that was wrong and he shook such thoughts from his mind. He had to focus on the game and punishment.

"Yo, Director-San," He called.

His slightly deeper voice carried over the silence of the parking garage and the man jumped. He smirked as the man turned and glared at him. The game was in effect and he could see the shadows growing. The man had already loss the moment their eyes met.

"Are you looking for an actors fee?" The man sneered, "Why not ask that smart ass that you were with earlier, she obviously has the right parts you need."

The spirit was silent for a few minutes before his shadows lashed out. They covered the nice car and silently put scratches into it. The man really shouldn't have said what he did. No one insulted the one that shared a connection with him. No one.

"Why don't we play a game, Director-San?" He offered, "If you accept I won't inform the media of your sexual assault on a teenage girl."

"Fine," The man barked out, "Name your game!"

"We'll play with this?" The spirit stated as he held out a hand.

On the palm of his hand were the tarot cards that Kohaku had been using. He had summoned them from her bag. There could be some use for them in his game. He was originally going to use dice, but decided to harshen the game and as such the punishment.

"What are we going to do, tell the others fortune?" The man mocked with a sneer fixed on his face.

"Cards have been played since ancient times, tarot's have been used as normal cards in France for years," The spirit stated, "They only gained their infamy of fortune telling in the more recent years."

"Enough with the history lesson, get on with the damn game!" The man snapped.

"We'll each draw a card, whoever has the highest card wins," He stated.

He could almost taste the victory as the man marched up to him and harshly drew a card. The spirit drew his own card with more care, they belonged to someone else who would be upset if they were ruined. They kept their cards turned face down. He was going to make sure that the man's suffering was drawn out.

They flipped their cards and his smirk grew chaotic. The man's card was the fool, a joker card that wasn't worth anything in their game. Compared to his hermit card, the ninth numbered card in the deck. The card for justice.

It was almost poetic.

"The doors of darkness have opened," The spirit stated.

"W-What?" The man lost his anger as a chill settled in the air.

"You have lied and harmed innocents to get your perfect shots, you've even assaulted women who get in your way or do not give consent," The Spirit stated, "For that your soul shall spent countless years in the shadow realm, constantly being cut into pieces and pieced back together as a mosaic."

The shadows grew to tower over the man and he let loose a shrill scream as they enveloped him. The spirit looked down to see the fool card on the ground and he picked it up. The man was still screaming as the shadows ripped out his soul to dole out his punishment. He let the shadows envelop him and he moved back to the park.

Kohaku was still passed out, and she seemed to have grown a slight fever due to the chill in the air. He caressed her face before picking her up from the bench. He once more moved through the shadows before ending up in her room. He couldn't help himself but look around.

Her room was rather empty, save for her clock and books. He wasn't impressed by it and placed her in her bed. She instantly curled up on the soft duvet and he watched as her face smoothed. He moved away from the bed and quietly exited the apartment. He used a shadow to lock the door behind him and he headed to his hosts home.

Kohaku let out a slight moan of pain as a red line appeared on her legs. Her dreams were nothing but being trapped within the dark as chains tore her skin to shreds before allowing it to heal up and starting the cycle one again. There seemed to be no end to it and tear tracks made their way through the blood covering her face. She screamed for help, but none came. It reminded her of those two years she had spent under the care of _him_.

Her eyes widened when a dark hand came towards her and she could actually reach out for it. She grasped onto the hand and she was pulled out of the dark. Her head broke the surface of water and her hair immediately plastered to her face and neck. She pushed it out of her face to see who had pulled her out.

It was the first version of the spirit she had saw. His crimson eyes were wide in surprise and his tan cheeks grew a little red due to a blush on his face. It was a look that suited him. Especially with his eyes.

"Seshen," He muttered and his eyes widened at his words and he looked away.

She was oddly flattered by that. He looked back towards her and reached for her. She didn't feel the need to back away from this version of him and allowed him to pull her out of the water. He didn't just pull her out, he picked her up. He was surprisingly strong, though his wide eyes showed he was more worried about how light she was.

"How did you get in the Nile?" He questioned her as he placed her on her feet.

"I have no clue," She stated with a frown.

She had been in the dark before he pulled her out of the water. Her mind then connected that he said Nile. She looked towards the water and noticed the spanning river in front of her. It was beautiful.

"You look as though you've never seen the Nile," He commented.

"I haven't," She admitted, "It's a stunning sight."

"Yes, yes it is," He agreed.

"My prince!" A voice called and the two turned to see a long haired man running towards them, "There you are, Pharaoh is looking for you."

The Prince, it was easier to call him that than Spirit, looked towards Kohaku. His friend didn't seem to see the girl he had pulled from the Nile. Perhaps she was the spirit of someone that had drowned within the water? It didn't explain her hair, or odd clothing.

"Thank you, Mahad," He stated before giving a nod and heading the way the man had just ran.

Mahad let out a gentle sigh and looked to see what had captured his princes attention. It had to be of some importance. He didn't see anything, but now that he focused he could sense something. It was dark and similar to his magic. He focused his magic and sent some towards the spot.

"Ah, geez," a soft voice stated.

He was welcomed to the sight of what caught his princes eye. A small girl stood there completely drenched. She was slightly see-through, mainly due to it being her soul he was seeing, but rather lovely. A lotus was stuck in her hair and she didn't seem to notice it, either that or she didn't care.

He didn't get to interrogate her before she vanished. There was no trace that the girl had been there. Not even a puddle, or the lotus. The magic in the air told of her spirit being displaced in time for a few minutes. Her magic had sent her back and most likely saved her life.

He turned on his heel and headed back to his temple. He needed to make sure those under his command weren't causing trouble. Especially, his apprentice. He hurried at that thought.


End file.
